Improvement in corsets



c. s. c-uArrsa.

Corsets. MAB 3,805. PatentedAug4, 1874.

V aid/w 13 TNE GRAPHIC CO PHOTO -UTH 39&4I PARK PLACE, N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. CHAFFEE, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND ROBERT MAY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN CORSETS.

Specification forming part-of Letters Patent No. 153,805, dated August 4, 1874; application filed May 25, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. CHAFFEE, of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Skirt-Supporter; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Fignre 1, a side view of one-half of a two-part corset with supporter attached; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same on line as so, looking down; Fig. 3, a rear view of a threepart corset with supporter attached; Fig. 4, a vertical section, showing the brace in side "iew; and in Fig. 5, a side view of a modification of the brace.

This invention relates to an improved device for supporting the skirts of ladies dresses at the waist, and which is applied to the corset so that through the corset the weight of the skirts may taken to the shoulders, if shoulder-straps be used; and the invention consists in a transverse or encircling spring, one or both ends attached to the corset, and the said spring held from the corset and supported by a brace, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents one half or side of a common two-part corset. B is the spring, which may be made of any suitable material, andpossessing some degree of elasticity. One end of the springis attached to the corset, near the front, by means of a socket, C, fitted to receive and hold the end, as seen in Fig. 1. To the other or rearend a brace, D,is attached to the spring, the said brace held fast to the corset by means of sockets a, or otherwise, but preferably so as to be easily removed therefrom. This brace projects from the corset, as seenin Figs. 2 and 4, to the extent desired for the supporter, and

holdsthe rear end of the spring in that position. A similar spring is arranged upon the opposite side.

In order that the brace may not easily be displaced, I form the ends hook-shaped, so that after they have been passed through their respective sockets the hooks will engage the edge of the socket, as seen in Fig. 4; or, if preferred, a spring, cl, may be applied to the ends of the'brace, as seen in Fig. 5.

. In case of a three-part corset, or whole-back,

as seen in Fig. 3, I attach both ends of the spring B to the corset by sockets C, and arrange the brace D in the middle.

. It will, therefore, be observed that the same result is attained by securing both ends of the spring and applying the brace in the center of the spring, as when one end only is attached to the corset and the other end to the brace, as first described.

This support may be applied in the manufacture of the corset, or subsequently, and, being easily removed, by simply Withdrawing the ends from the socket and the brace from its sockets, they may be packed with the corset and not materially increase its bulk. If desirable, the supporter may be attached to a band and that secured around the body. By the term corset, I wish to be understood as embracing a band or other equivalent for the corset to sustain the spring B and brace D.

I claim as my in'veution The herein-described corset skirt-supporter, consisting of the spring B, one or both ends of which are attached to the corset, combined with the brace D to support the spring at a distance from the corset, substantially as described.

GHAS. S. CHAFFEE.

Witnesses CHAS. E. CLARK, WM. S. BROWNE. 

